Students will be introduced
to a variety of disciplines and techniques necessary to effectively study the
environment. Furthermore, students will learn about the major problems that
environmental science examines and how scientists go about addressing these
problems. Student will sample local stream, marsh, lake, and forest ecosystems
to reinforce the power of the multi-disciplinary approach, and to broaden the student’s
minds on why it is so important to excel at their course work. We will examine
the physical, chemical, and biological elements within these ecosystems. Some
of the field experiences will include learning how to assess physical properties,
such as soil composition and hydrology, techniques for measuring land cover and
shading, collecting water to assess water quality (e.g.., temperature and
dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total phosphorus), sampling algae, invertebrates,
fish and salamanders, and methods for surveying and monitoring marshes.
